Manatee County deputies uprooted two full-grown backyard marijuana plants belonging to wheelchair-bound Cathy Jordan, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, and disabled Vietnam veteran Robert Jordan. Although neither was arrested Monday, officers confiscated 21 seedlings that the Jordans insist were intended to stabilize her neurodegenerative disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

"They explained to me that they had no choice because it's the law," Robert said Wednesday. "Well, guess what? I've got no choice in the matter, too. We're going head-to-head now and one of us is going to fall. And if it's me, somebody else is going to step up.

"They've come and taken away the medicine that's been keeping my wife alive for 20 years," he said. "I'm not going to let my wife die, and anybody who loves somebody would do the same thing."

Just last week, the Jordans met with legislative Democrats, who agreed to back a 138-page bill called the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act. Sponsored by Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, this marks the first time in at least 30 years that a bill to legalize the drug has been filed in Florida. If the measure is passed, Florida will become the 19th state and the first in the South to sanction marijuana for medical reasons.

Found to have ALS in 1986, and given a five-year survival window by doctors, Cathy Jordan began smoking marijuana in 1989 and says it has succeeded where prescription drugs have not.

But the Jordans' elation over their symbolic victory in Tallahassee began to fade on Monday, when a housing inspector reported them to police.

According to the sheriff's report, Sonya Leigh Johnson was assessing the vacant home next door when she noticed an extension cord running from an open window toward the Jordans' home. She peeked through the backyard fence, saw the plants, took photos and reported the scene to the Sheriff's Office.

Uniformed deputies showed up at the Jordans' home Monday afternoon, followed by three undercover detectives, two wearing ski masks. John Jordan, their 43-year-old son, said that utility service at the home next door was in the Jordans' name because the Jordans were planning to close on the house purchase this week.

"We had no idea about their involvement in the medical marijuana bill," said sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow. "The only reason we responded was because somebody complained."

No one was arrested because "there was some question as to ownership of the marijuana plants."

"I think they were embarrassed," said Cathy Jordan, director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network. "I don't think they wanted to put a 62-year-old woman in a wheelchair with Lou Gehrig's disease in jail."

The Sarasota State Attorney's Office declined to comment on whether it will file charges.

"Is this really the best use of our law enforcement's time?" asked Clemens, the Democrat sponsoring the proposed legislation. "I think the public would be much better served by changing the law to allow our police to concentrate on violent criminals, not senior citizens in wheelchairs."

Changing times

Sponsoring a pot legalization bill under any circumstances was once seen as political suicide in Florida.

The legislation is unlikely to pass this year, co-sponsor Edwards concedes, but she predicted "that this is going to happen in the next four to five years in Florida and I would rather be in front on this issue than behind it."

Edwards and other supporters point to a poll released this week, commissioned by People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida, that showed 70 percent of voters sampled supported legalization for medical reasons. The poll of 600 registered voters across the state was evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.

"Perceptions are changing. It's time to have an adult conversation about this in Florida," said Edwards, who met Cathy Jordan for the first time last week.

"You look in the eyes of this incredibly feeble woman and you cannot help but have compassion for her," Edwards said. "She would gladly give up marijuana if she could get out of her wheelchair and be free of Lou Gehrig's disease. But she is suffering and this gives her some relief. How is Cathy Jordan using marijuana any threat to me?"

Ben Pollara, a spokesman for People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida, called it "grotesque" that seriously ill Floridians who use marijuana should be subject to police raids.

"If anything," Pollara said, "this will steel support because people understand how wrong it is that people like Cathy Jordan have to go through something like this when they are suffering so much already," Pollara said.

Edwards acknowledged that current laws put police in difficult positions and that her bill will allow authorities to focus more resources on threats that really matter to Floridians.

Pollara said he has little confidence that the Republican-dominated Legislature will pass the Jordan bill. Instead, his organization is pushing an alternative route — gathering signatures to put the question on a constitutional ballot. The group is still a long way off. It says it has gathered 100,000, but needs to have 676,811 validated by Feb. 1, 2014, to place the question on next year's ballot. Even if it gets that far, it would require 60 percent of Florida voters to approve it.

But Pollara, who has worked for 10 years on political campaigns, including Hillary Rodham Clinton's in Florida, said the poll was a game-changer because it shows national and state donors that there is popular support in Florida for medical marijuana.

Edwards said the state also has economic reasons for passing the Jordan act.

States such as Colorado could generate millions in tax revenue from pot. It could also be a boon for Florida farmers, she said.

<p><em>PARRISH</em> - Four days after lobbying Tallahassee lawmakers to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, an activist couple were busted by police for growing pot at their home in Parrish.</p><p>Manatee County deputies uprooted two full-grown backyard marijuana plants belonging to wheelchair-bound Cathy Jordan, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, and disabled Vietnam veteran Robert Jordan. Although neither was arrested Monday, officers confiscated 21 seedlings that the Jordans insist were intended to stabilize her neurodegenerative disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.</p><p>"They explained to me that they had no choice because it's the law," Robert said Wednesday. "Well, guess what? I've got no choice in the matter, too. We're going head-to-head now and one of us is going to fall. And if it's me, somebody else is going to step up.</p><p>"They've come and taken away the medicine that's been keeping my wife alive for 20 years," he said. "I'm not going to let my wife die, and anybody who loves somebody would do the same thing."</p><p>Just last week, the Jordans met with legislative Democrats, who agreed to back a 138-page bill called the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act. Sponsored by Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, this marks the first time in at least 30 years that a bill to legalize the drug has been filed in Florida. If the measure is passed, Florida will become the 19th state and the first in the South to sanction marijuana for medical reasons.</p><p>Found to have ALS in 1986, and given a five-year survival window by doctors, Cathy Jordan began smoking marijuana in 1989 and says it has succeeded where prescription drugs have not.</p><p>But the Jordans' elation over their symbolic victory in Tallahassee began to fade on Monday, when a housing inspector reported them to police.</p><p>According to the sheriff's report, Sonya Leigh Johnson was assessing the vacant home next door when she noticed an extension cord running from an open window toward the Jordans' home. She peeked through the backyard fence, saw the plants, took photos and reported the scene to the Sheriff's Office.</p><p>Uniformed deputies showed up at the Jordans' home Monday afternoon, followed by three undercover detectives, two wearing ski masks. John Jordan, their 43-year-old son, said that utility service at the home next door was in the Jordans' name because the Jordans were planning to close on the house purchase this week.</p><p>"We had no idea about their involvement in the medical marijuana bill," said sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow. "The only reason we responded was because somebody complained." </p><p>No one was arrested because "there was some question as to ownership of the marijuana plants."</p><p>"I think they were embarrassed," said Cathy Jordan, director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network. "I don't think they wanted to put a 62-year-old woman in a wheelchair with Lou Gehrig's disease in jail."</p><p>The Sarasota State Attorney's Office declined to comment on whether it will file charges.</p><p>"Is this really the best use of our law enforcement's time?" asked Clemens, the Democrat sponsoring the proposed legislation. "I think the public would be much better served by changing the law to allow our police to concentrate on violent criminals, not senior citizens in wheelchairs."</p><p><b>Changing times</b></p><p>Sponsoring a pot legalization bill under any circumstances was once seen as political suicide in Florida.</p><p>The legislation is unlikely to pass this year, co-sponsor Edwards concedes, but she predicted "that this is going to happen in the next four to five years in Florida and I would rather be in front on this issue than behind it."</p><p>Edwards and other supporters point to a poll released this week, commissioned by People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida, that showed 70 percent of voters sampled supported legalization for medical reasons. The poll of 600 registered voters across the state was evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.</p><p>"Perceptions are changing. It's time to have an adult conversation about this in Florida," said Edwards, who met Cathy Jordan for the first time last week.</p><p>"You look in the eyes of this incredibly feeble woman and you cannot help but have compassion for her," Edwards said. "She would gladly give up marijuana if she could get out of her wheelchair and be free of Lou Gehrig's disease. But she is suffering and this gives her some relief. How is Cathy Jordan using marijuana any threat to me?"</p><p>Ben Pollara, a spokesman for People United for Medical Marijuana-Florida, called it "grotesque" that seriously ill Floridians who use marijuana should be subject to police raids.</p><p>"If anything," Pollara said, "this will steel support because people understand how wrong it is that people like Cathy Jordan have to go through something like this when they are suffering so much already," Pollara said.</p><p>Edwards acknowledged that current laws put police in difficult positions and that her bill will allow authorities to focus more resources on threats that really matter to Floridians.</p><p>Pollara said he has little confidence that the Republican-dominated Legislature will pass the Jordan bill. Instead, his organization is pushing an alternative route — gathering signatures to put the question on a constitutional ballot. The group is still a long way off. It says it has gathered 100,000, but needs to have 676,811 validated by Feb. 1, 2014, to place the question on next year's ballot. Even if it gets that far, it would require 60 percent of Florida voters to approve it.</p><p>But Pollara, who has worked for 10 years on political campaigns, including Hillary Rodham Clinton's in Florida, said the poll was a game-changer because it shows national and state donors that there is popular support in Florida for medical marijuana.</p><p>Edwards said the state also has economic reasons for passing the Jordan act.</p><p>States such as Colorado could generate millions in tax revenue from pot. It could also be a boon for Florida farmers, she said.</p><p><i></p><p>Staff writer David Hackett contributed to this report.</i></p>